


Battle Hymns of the Federation

by Vyc



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Alien Culture, Fluff, Gen, Music, Music History, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-11
Updated: 2014-05-11
Packaged: 2018-01-24 07:46:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1597124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vyc/pseuds/Vyc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>O'Brien wonders why only the Klingons get to sing while going forth into battle. Sisko offers a suggestion as to what Federation members could sing themselves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Battle Hymns of the Federation

**Author's Note:**

> In general, Klingons and I don't mix too well. However, one thing I do adore is the importance of song in Klingon life. (This has nothing whatsoever to do with me being a music teacher.)
> 
> This also came from the never-not-hilarious tendency for history to change the context of media--and I'm not saying anything else, because it'll give the joke away.

"What I want to know," O'Brien said suddenly, "is why we don't have any good battle songs."

The other three at the table—Sisko, Dax, and Bashir—lifted their eyes from their raktajinos and, in Bashir's case, rather sodden hasperat. No one seemed particularly intrigued by this opening statement, which had arrived from deep space, and so O'Brien went on.

"I mean, when the Klingons go off to war, they're singing the starbase down. But when we head out, all we do is go on about clearing docking pads and phaser banks being online."

"Would you prefer we skip the safety checks and start straight in on the opera?" Bashir asked with a lift of his brows.

O'Brien sent him a glare. "I'm not saying that. I'm saying it might boost morale a little, is all. We could do with a bit of 'We're the big, tough Humans—and Trills'—"

Dax lifted her mug a bit. "Thank you."

"—'and we're about to defeat you in glorious battle.' You know."

"I know I'd stick to engineering and not songwriting if I were you, Chief," Bashir informed him, but there was a small, tired smile on his lips.

"No, that's good. Let's see." Sisko thought for a moment. Then his face lit, and in spite of themselves, the others leaned in. 

He then proceeded to do something . . . odd. He stomped first his left foot, followed by his right, before finishing with a clap. These actions were executed in quick succession and immediately repeated.

"Come on," Sisko urged without breaking his rhythm.

Dax picked it up right away; Bashir and O'Brien copied after something of a hesitation. They were joined by more than a few offduty personnel at other tables who had overheard their conversation (and some who were stomping and clapping simply because Captain Sisko was).

When Sisko seemed satisfied with the level of noise being generated, he took in a deep breath and let his voice fill the room.

" _We will, we will rock you_!"

Undeterred by the way everyone now seemed to think the line could be deciphered by sending a confused enough frown at their neighbour, Sisko kept going.

" _We will, we will rock you_!"

"Uh, sir—what does that mean?" O'Brien asked. His actions had become rather half-hearted in his bewilderment. He wasn't the only one slowing down, either.

"It means, Chief O'Brien," Sisko said, his voice as strong as ever, "that we are going to _beat_ you!"

"Oh." Suddenly, O'Brien smiled and picked up the rhythm again. "All right, then!"

Dax was next to let loose the battle cry, delivering the line with relish. " _We will, we will rock you_!"

By the time the song had petered out, just about everyone had taken a turn shouting the words. In its wake, where conversation had been subdued and faces solemn, there were smiles, chatter, and even laughter. More than a few of the mess hall's occupants vowed to themselves then and there that the next time they were ordered into battle, they would make singing a part of their preparations.

*

" _Defiant_ to Sisko."

"Go ahead."

"Benjamin, you wouldn't happen to know any good Human victory songs to go with the battle song you taught us yesterday, would you?"

There was a pause. Then: "As a matter of fact, I do."

"Hold on a minute."

On the _Defiant_ , Dax took a second to open shipwide communications. "Okay, go ahead."

The sound of a breath being taken in reached down the corridors and filled the ship's chambers. It was the sound of readiness, and as soon as it was safe to do so, the crew of the _Defiant_ looked up, or at least prepared to listen.

And as the ship docked safely at Starbase 375, it was to the sound of Captain Sisko's voice being joined steadily by more and more crew members of all species and ages and backgrounds as, united, they sang:

_"We are the champions, my friends,_  
And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end.  
We are the champions.  
We are the champions.  
No time for losers  
'Cause we are the champions of the world." 


End file.
